A Taste of Senegal

Part of the fun of being a Private Chef is that I am able to change my menus everyday. When you cook for the same four food critics day in and day out, it is important to keep things interesting. There are of course family favorites that I must keep in perpetual rotation, but I am also encouraged to be creative and come up with "something different". In true Beyond The Kitchen Wall style, I have been on a quest to introduce my clients to food traditions from the more obscure corners of the planet. I'm not saying that Western Africa is in any way obscure, but sadly its grand cuisine is not well known outside of certain circles. I had a lot of fun putting a Senegalese inspired menu together.

Filling a great mansion on Chicago's North Shore with the exotic scents of Western Africa made me smile. Here was food from a people and a culture that did not know such great wealth, but here was food that was fit for royalty. For a while, it was as if the whole kitchen had been moved to the center of Dakar, Senegal's Capital City. When dinner was served, the enthusiasm was palpable. For one evening, a small group of Americans discussed Senegal.
Here is the main course that I served that evening. Try it for yourself, and spend the evening discussing Africa and Her People.

Senegalese Chicken Yassa with
Cinnamon Scented Brown Basmati Rice
Serves 4 to 6

For the chicken:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon habanero chile, minced, or more to taste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 stewing chicken, cut into 10 pieces (legs, thighs, wings, breasts cut in half)
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 large red pepper, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, habanero chile, Dijon mustard, ginger, 1/4 cup peanut oil, water, and salt and pepper. Place the chicken pieces and onions in a large sealable plastic bag, pour marinade over. Seal bag, toss together, and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

After 3 hours, remove chicken pieces from marinade. Strain onions from marinade and reserve both separately. Place heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon peanut oil, and add chicken pieces. Do not crowd the pan. Brown the chicken on all sides, and set aside.
Add drained onions, and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir onions often. Once onions begin to caramelize, add remaining ingredients plus the reserved marinade.
Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes.

Add chicken pieces back to the pot along with any juices that may have accumulated. Cover, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on how tough your chicken is. After 1 hour, check seasoning, and adjust if needed.
Remove from heat and let rest while you prepare the rice.

For the rice:
2 cups brown Basmati rice
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

Place a medium pot over high heat. Add oil and 1 cup of the rice. Stir constantly until rice begins to toast. Continue stirring, once rice begins to pop like popcorn, add remaining rice and all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, stir once more, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 40 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.

To serve:
Place a bed of rice on a large platter. Spoon some of the sauce and vegetables from the chicken over the rice. Arrange the chicken pieces over the sauce, and top with more sauce and vegetables. May be garnished with chopped parsley and lemon zest if you wish, but this is not traditional.

To learn more about the nation of Senegal, click HERE.